Fractionation apparatus



mmh 4, 1947.

- T. H. wJ-iALEY FRACTIONATION APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1944 7 5 H 7 5 5 5 5 5 f l//A 7/// ///////n INVENTOR T.. H. wHALeY MK, a i

ATroRNs y t;

Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED'l STATES [PATENT fo l-'FlcE FRACTIONATION APPARATUS Thomas Il. Whaley, Bartlesville, Olxla., assigner to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application october 9, 1944, serial No. 557,911

or have to handle a plurality of liquids, or havel duct the overilow liquid tothe plate-below. 'I'he vapor passing up the tower is brought into intimate contact at each plate with liquid which flows from plate to plate down the tower.

In the separation and purification of polymerizable organic monomers, for example butadiene, solid and semisolid materials formed by' Ioxidation, polymerization, or both have caused serious operating dimculties. As a vspecific example, often in the fractionation of butadiene,

'the Jiractionatng column has been so obstructed by accumulation of a granular white solid that the system had to be shut down and the equipment cleaned out. While it is most desirable to prevent the formationof these troublesome compounds, their occurrence may be expected even when inhibitors are used to prevent their formation. The present invention provides a bubble tower which will successfully handle granular, ilocculent, or other non-adhesivesolid substances capable of forming a slurry having iluidcharaoteristics.

7 Claims. (Cl. 261-114) ier phase. In either condition eiflcient intimate .countercurrent contact between vapor and the lighter liquid is not accomplished. The present invention provides a bubble plate column which will successfully handle two liquid phases.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved bubble plate column for countercurrent contact of vapors and liquids.

above and below (not shown).

`In some instances it is desirable to contact a for removal of dimers or liquid polymers, a water phase and a .furfural and/or polymer phase may -be present. This mixture cannot ordinarilybe,

handled in a. bubble plate column since the heav- ,ier phase, furfural, will stand on the plate to the overflow level and the lighter liquid phase will be spread in a thin layer on top of the heavier Another object is to provide improved downtakes for bubble plte columns.

vStill another object is to provide an improved bubble plate column which will handle nonadhesive solids.

,A further object isto provide a bubble plate column which willhandle a plurality of liquid phases.

A still further obje'ct is to provide a bubble plate column which will handle both non-adhesive solids and a plurality of liquid phases.

A'still further object is to provide a bubble plate column in which the relative-amounts of two or more liquid phases on the bubbleplate may be controlled.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom thefollowing detailed description of the invention and from the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing is shown an elevational cross 'sectional view through a portion of a bubble tower embodying the present invention showing two trays, the upper and lower portions of said tower being broken away to avoid repetition of similar parts. l r In the drawing a bubble tower or column is shown comprising a vertical shell Il, which for purposes of strength in hoop tension is preferbe of any desired cross section. Vertically spaced inside shell ll is a series of substantially horizontally disposed bubble trays 38, 39 and others While trays 38 and 39 are4 identical they are given different numbers tomake-the discussion of them herein less confusing. Obviously the bottom and top trays, or end plates (not shown), ofthe column are modied and may consist merelyof flat plates extending entirely across shell Il. through which,

or adjacent'to which, entrance and exit pipes may extend into connection with the spaces in tower Il in the usual manner. bottom'plates are conventional they are not lillustrated inthe drawings in order to direct` the disphase or dispersed as globules through theheav- A axserles of perforations i4 for the usual bubble As the top and caps lli common in the prior art ofbubble columns. Many other types of bubble caps such as caps 23, 39 of Figure 3 of the U.` S. patent to Parsons 2,105,501 of January 18, 1938 may be employed in placeof bubblecaps VI6 shown in the present application. The operation of such bubble caps being so well known, no'further explanation seems necessary.

In trays 38 and 39 are also perforations 4| in which downtake pipes 42 are inserted and secured by any usual manner known to the prior art, such as welding. Trays 38 and 39 are also provided with perforations 44 in which the long legs 46 of inverted J tubes generally designated as 41 and 48 respectively are inserted and secured. Each of J tubesl 41 and 48 is provided witha short leg 49 and a bend portion 5|. The lower end of the long leg 46 preferably extends adjacent the upper surface of the next lower bubble tray while the lower end of the short leg 49 preferably extends adjacent on top of the same tray `to which the J tube is secured. The bubble caps I6 have slots |1 from which the gas emerges as bubbles 56.

Extending from the bend portion |l to the vapor space above the next lower tray is a, conduit 52. Conduit 52 provides communication between the vapor space in the J tube and in between the trays so that syphoning is prevented.

While the top of J tube 41 is shown as a U bend 5| and 49, obvious mechanical equivalents may be substitutedihaving the same hydraulic properties. i

Operation The operationnf the tower shown in the drawing is as follows:

When two immiscible liquids 55 and 51 are travcling down vthe tower andvapors are traveling up said tower, liquid 55 being the heavierl liquid obviously remains below liquid 51, liquid 51 being forced upwardly by liquid 55. Nonadhesive granular particles 54 areshown carried only by liquid 55 but they may be carried by either or both of liquids 55 and 51 without substantially changing the operation.`

In the drawings vapor is passing upwardly through the tower by passing through -bubble caps I6, and liquids 55 and 51 are proceeding 4downward through tower as will be explained below. 'Liquid 51 proceeds downwardly by over- 'leg 49 ofthe J tubes 41and 48 by the hydrostatichead of both liquids 55 and 51 and .when heavy liquid 55 has'accumulated to such a point that it vmay be forcedover bend 5| the heavy liquid 55 passes downlong'leg 46 to the next lower tray. The lower end of leg 46 may be of any length and need not extend below the surface of the liquid onthe tray below since vapors cannot pass from the vapor space of the tray below to thevaporspaceof the one above through J tube 421 as long as there is vliquid in the Yshort leg 59 of the J tube. Thel lower end of short leg 59 is preferably positioned adjacent the top. of

' by the high velocity created by the close spacing 4 f the tray s o thatfthe granular particles 5l which are agitated by vapor bubbles 56 will be swept into leg 49 and passedover-'bend 5| down to the next tray through connection 46.

Toprevent a syphoning action which would draw too much liquid off of tray 38 to'tray 39 the bend 5| is provided with a conduit 52 leading to the vapor space between trays 38A and 39.

Conduit 52 allowsvapor to pass from bend 5|. A

to the space below `and vice versa so that no `syphoning action can occur.

It is therefore evident that applicant has provided a device in which the following advantages are provided. 1 v

Granular, occulent and other substantially bubbling of the vapor through the liquid on the plate prevents serious accumulation of the solids v around the bubble caps. The continuous removal of solids by the improved downtake prevents concentration of solids on the plate to the point where it interferes with vapor or liquid throughput.

Two liquid phases may be handled and the relative volumes of each onthe bubble plate controlled by the apparatus of this invention.

handles the heavy liquid and/or solids while the conventional downpipe handles the overilowing uid level since the weight of the column of heavy liquid inside the downcomer 41 is equal to the.

weight of the composite oritwo liquid layers outside the downcomer.. The bottom draw downtake of my invention limits the interface levelv Awhen two liquid phases are presentf/However it is believed obvious that a singlei liquid phase,

or .a single liquid phase containing solid partilto the top of the column. For example, in the distillation 'of butadiene a solid inhibitor such as a copper salt may be fed to the top of the column, passing downward from plate to plate with'the liquid.

s previously pointed out downpipes and sealpots or submergence of the downpipe on the plate below are not essential to-the invention.

lFoaming. does not interfere with the operation o'f Vthe improved downtake.

Vapor entrainment with the downcoming liquid, a serious limitation to the capacity of some downtakes, is eliminated or greatly decreased.v

By using both the' conventional downpipe and theimproved downtake at opposite-sides of the bubblel plates, countercurrent flow of thetwo liquid phases across the plate may be eiected.

Obviously the inverted J tube claimed may be replaced by obvious mechanical equivalents having the `same hydraulic properties without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as described and claimed. c

In lthe present invention the improved downtake limited in accordance with the following claims when interpreted in view of the prior art. Having described my invention I claim:

1. A bubble column for contact of vapors and liquids comprising in combination a vertical shell, vertically spaced substantially horizontal bubble trays extending across said shell, said trays having perforations therethrough, a, bubble cap on each tray operatively connected to one of said perforations, an inverted J tube on each tray having its long leg extending through another of said perforations and sealed to' said tray, the

end of the short leg of said J being disposed adjacent the top of said tray, the end of the long leg of said J being disposed adjacent the top of the next lower tray, a conduit connecting the top of the bend of said J and the space below the tray to which said J is sealed and a downtake pipe extending through another of said perforations on each of said trays from a point above the intake of said short leg of the J on the same trayA to a point below the intake of the downtake pipe on lthe next lower tra-y and sealed to ing perforations therethrough, a bubble cap on eachV tray operatively connected to one of said perforations, an inverted J tube on each tray having its long leg extending through another of said perforations and sealed to said tray, the end of the long leg of said J being disposed adjacent the top of the next lower tray, a conduit connecting the top of the bend of said J and the space below the tray to which said J is sealed and a downtake pipe extending through another of said perforations on each of said trays from a point above the intake of said short leg of the J on the same tray to a point below the intake of the downtake 6 Y end of the short leg of said J being disposed adjacent the top of said tray, the end of the long leg of said J being disposed adjacent the top of the next lower tray, a conduit connecting the top of the bend of said J and the space below the tray to which said J is sealed and a downtake pipe extending through another of said pervforation's on each of said trays.

`5. A bubble column for contact of vapors and liquids 'comprising in combination a vertical shell, vertically spaced substantially horizontal bubble trays extending across said shell, said trays havlng perforations therethrough, a bubble cap on each tray operatively connected to one of said perforations, an inverted J tube on each tray having its long leg extending through another of said perforations and sealed to said tray, a conduit connecting the top of the bend of said J and the space below the tray to which said J is sealed, and al downtake pipe extending through another of said perforations on each of said trays.

6. A b'ubble column for contact of vapors and liquids comprising in combination a vertical shell, vertically spaced substantially horizontal bubble trays extending across said shell, said trays having perforations therethrough, a bubble cap on each tray operatively connected to one of said perforations, an inverted J tube on each tray having its llong leg extending through another of said perforations and sealed to said` tray, a conduit connecting the top of the bend of said J and the space below the tray to which said J is sealed, and a downtake pipe extending through pipe on the next lower tray and sealed to said perforations, an inverted J tube on each tray having its long leg extending through another of said perforations and sealed to said tray, the end of .the short leg of said J being disposed adjacent the top of said tray, a conduit conneoting the top of the bend of said J' and the space below the tray` to which said J is vsealed and a downtake pipe extending through another of said perforations on each of said trays from a point above the intake of said short leg of the J on the same tray to a point below the intake of the downtake pipe onthe next lower tray and sealed to said tray.

4. A bubble column for contact of vapors and liquids comprising in combination a vertical shell,

vertically spaced substantially horizontal bubble eol another of said perforations on each of .said trays from a point above the intake of said short `leg of the J on the same tray to a point below the intake of the 'downtake pipe -on the next lower'` tray and sealed to said tray.

7. A bubble column forcontact of vapors and liquids comprising in combination a vertical shelll vertically spaced substantially horizontal bubble trays extending across said shell, said trays having perforations therethrough, a bubble cap on each tray operatively connected to one of said perforations, an inverted J tube on each tray- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the l ille of this patent: e

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,741,519 Huff Dec. 31, 1929 1,862,758 Merley J une 14, 1932 897,125 McCabe et al. Aug. 25, 1908 1,995,065 Hetzer Mar. 19, 1935 37,731 Bristol Feb. 24, 1863 05 2,205,336 Beach June 18. 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS N umber Country Date 211,542 'British Feb. 28, 1,924 4,324 British Mar. 19, 1890 619,168 French Mar. l28, 1927 

